February 05, 2013

January 2013 Table Hopping

Owner, Robin
Krause, has a transformative way of taking ordinary spaces and making them
extraordinary. Her original space, in an old gas station is where you can enjoy
terrific coffee and cuisine. Full of artist types, Hallmark employees and
neighborhood folks, it is an unstuffy place to grab a cup of coffee and lunch.
Serving Broadway Espresso and local roaster, Oddly Correct Coffees, you can’t
get a bad cup in here. They also offer tasty lunch specials of the day along
with a regular menu of soups, salads and sandwiches. TRY: the soup of the day and the grilled cheese sandwich combo for
$8 to warm you up on these cold winter days ahead.

Owner Todd Schulte bought
this little gas station in the West Bottoms thinking he was going to open Happy
Gillis 2, a second location for his wildly popular café in Columbus Park. But
when he started on the inside of the building, a French country theme emerged. Todd
Schulte has produced a stunning simple breakfast menu where all the downtown
types nosh in the AM. Lunch menu offers one of my favorite cheeseburger in KC,
called “The Bichelmeyer’s Butcher’s Grind” for $8. AFTER: lunch head next
door to the Amigoni Urban Winery Tasting Room. Open Tues. - Sun. 11am-6pm, you
can sample five different local wines made from French grapes grown in Missouri
for only $5.

Papu’s Café

604 W. 75th Street

Kansas City, MO 64114

(816) 822-8759

In KC, we understand that
great food can come from restaurants located inside of humble gas stations. The
owner of this Shell Gas station decided he wanted to offer Middle Eastern
specialties and with the addition of a small kitchen in the back, he created a
place for Papu and Tony, the two cooks that run this place, to offer some
delicious carry-out options along with the opportunity to pay for your food at
the same time you purchase your lottery ticket. There is a line most days for
their Lamb Gyro or their Chicken Shawarma sandwich both around $6. When the weather warms, check out their
outdoor patio for additional seating. OPEN: 7 days a week,from
11:00 am to 9:00 pm, and until 10:00 pm on Friday & Saturday.

Barbecue fanatics in this
town and across the country seek out the original location in this humble
little gas station on the corner of 47th and Mission Road for two sandwiches in
particular – the house specialty, Carolina-style Pulled Pork Sandwich with
spicy slaw and tangy Bubba’s sauce for $6 and the Z-Man Sandwich featuring
tender beef brisket, smoked provolone cheese and fried onion rings on a Kaiser
bun for $7. Owners, Joe and Joy Stehney, started on the KC barbecue circuit, but
now have a second location in Olathe & a third fancy pants outlet in
Leawood. CALL: and place your order to go, the lines are long at the
original location, if you don’t want to wait, plan ahead.

Jason and Shannon Pryor
opened the original Pizza 51 location in an old gas station on the corner of 51st
& Oak in 2004. Then in 2011, a second Pizza 51 was opened in the family
friendly Fairway area of Kansas City, again in a converted old gas station to
rave reviews. What is great about this place aside from it’s family friendly
vibe, is that you can swing by and grab a single slice for around $4 or stay
and get a larger pie to share. You can order a whopping 26” pizza, which always
brings ohhh’s & ahhh’s when a pie that size hits the table. ORDER:
your favorite pizza and add cream cheese. I know, it sounds crazy, but it is
crazy good.